


Mario Ruins Everything

by StuckonDuck



Category: My Brother My Brother and Me (Podcast), Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: G/T, Gen, Giant/Tiny, Original Female Character - Freeform, Size Difference, This is DUMB, and took way too long to write, size related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 07:15:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13243218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StuckonDuck/pseuds/StuckonDuck
Summary: Alternate title: Tired Tiny is Saved From Griffin’s Relentless Enthusiasm by Travis and Justin and Gets to Take a Well Deserved Nap





	Mario Ruins Everything

**Author's Note:**

> This took me..... way too long to make aksjdnfjsj
> 
> Don't read this what are you doing. 
> 
> ....
> 
> Pleas e

She hadn't meant to spend so much time up on that shelf, and she certainly hadn't meant to knock Mario right off the edge of it. It was just that, the feeling of walking among people her own size, even if they were made entirely of plastic, was… refreshing. She couldn't help but examine the details on them, imagine them moving and talking. Mario had been closer to the edge of the shelf, and as she approached him she'd been distracted by the openness beyond it. Carry didn't spend a lot of time off the ground. But at this height, she could almost imagine herself as a human. It wouldn't take her twenty minutes to get to the other side of the room if she were that tall. She was right up on the edge now, one hand on the bright red Mario amiibo figure. In fact, Carry was so caught up in the moment she didn't realize how much weight she was leaning against him until it suddenly shifted.

It was surreal watching him plummet to the ground. Carry almost lost her balance entirely as he slipped off the edge. She had automatically tried to pull him back, gasping in surprise as the smooth plastic defied her attempts. The carpet muffled the sound of it hitting the floor, but to Carry it felt like an earthquake as it broke the peaceful atmosphere. She backed away from the edge, suddenly anxious. What if the human noticed? What if he suspected something? No no, Carry shook her head to clear it. As long as she made herself scarce he'd just think it fell off on its own. She was gonna be fine. 

Carry started to make her way back to her hook and line, which were attached to the back edge of the shelf where she'd climbed up. But the sound of the doorknob turning made her freeze, and her blood run cold.

Griffin entered the room humming an aimless tune. He was thinking of filming another amiibo review today, trying to remember which one he had lined up to do next. Carry could feel her heart in her throat. She was right at eye level with the human like this and everything in her was screaming for her to run. She didn't move though, she barely dared to breath. If he didn't notice her, she had a chance. She hoped desperately that the other small figures surrounding her would camouflage her presence. And they did, until he noticed Mario on the ground.

With a confused ‘hmm,’ Carry saw him bend over out of sight. Her heart sank as she realized what he must have found. He stood up again, examining the Mario figure with a frown. Not noticing any obvious damage, Griffin set it back in its proper place on the shelf, scooting it back a little further from the edge with a satisfied nod. His eyes briefly traveled over the other figures, and Carry barely repressed a shudder as they flickered over her. For a split second, she thought he had overlooked her, but just as he was about to turn away his gaze was drawn back in a noticeable double take. 

Their eyes locked and time seemed to freeze.

Griffin’s eyes widened and she saw his pupils dilate as they focused on her. There was no hiding now, Carry had been seen. She braced herself, ready for anything, hands twitching anxiously. He noticed the small movement, frowning slightly as he watched her, as though trying to puzzle out what exactly she was.

“Wha-?” He breathed, leaning forward just a little.

That was all it took for Carry to give into instinct. She bolted.

It didn't matter where she was going, so long as it was away. Unfortunately, she quickly realized that there was nowhere for her to go. The edge of the shelf was coming up quick, and she didn't have her climbing gear on her. She heard the human utter an undignified yelp as soon as she'd started to run and could hear him moving, but she didn't dare look back.  
Without a second thought, she took the only rout open to her, and jumped. For a moment she heard nothing but the air whistling past her and then she was falling. Carry’s vision blurred, and she didn't notice the large object she was heading towards until she hit it. What air was left in her lungs was forced out from the impact as she landed on her stomach onto a curved surface. As her head cleared, she recognized it as the arm of the chair that Griffin kept next to the shelves. Well, at least she hadn't fallen all the way to the floor, she might not have walked away from that in one piece. However, the direness of her situation quickly came back to her when she heard the human utter a surprised expletive. With a grunt, Carry shifted, planning on sliding down the arm onto the chair and then getting to the floor from there. But before she could even get her feet back under her, gravity took matters into its own hands and she started sliding backwards instead. Given the way the arm was curved and where she'd landed, Carry couldn't fight it. She scrambled to find some purchase, but it wasn't enough. She tumbled once again, falling the last few feet to the ground.

Having the breath knocked out of you two times in less than ten seconds was not a pleasant feeling. Carry lay sprawled on her back, eyes closed, just trying to breath again. She could tell she was going to have some nasty bruises from both falls, and her back was already starting to ache. But hey, she was alive. Now if she could just get up and out of sight before-

“Holy shit!”

Oh… right. 

Carry’s eyes shot open as the floor shook in the telltale sign of a giant moving. Something scraped against the floor as it was shifted and she realized it was the human scooting the chair out of the way. Out of the way to get to her. She tried to move, she really did. Carry wanted nothing more than to get up and run, but her limbs still felt like jelly. She only managed to barely sit up when Griffin finally came into view.

“Hooooly shit,” he said again, only much softer.

He loomed over her, eyes wide. At the sound of his voice so close Carry flinched away, scrambling back on her hands. 

“Woah my god you're still alive,” his hands moved forward as he spoke, hemming her in. “Are you okay? Jesus you just fell like, fifty feet, fuck. Try not to move too much if anything hurts. Is anything broken? Holy shit you're alive.”

She threw her arms over her head as his hands shot towards her. His nervous babbling barely reached her through the pounding of her own heart. With his hands crowding around her she couldn't stop her shivering, despite the warmth radiating off of them. They twitched unnervingly as though they had minds of their own, and she hated to imagine what they could do. She was powerless.

“Hey are you okay?”

The softly whispered question was followed by a very gentle brush against her shoulder. When she looked over she saw a finger retreating. Finally, with a deep breath, she turned back towards the giant human, peaking at him through her hands. He had lowered himself down further, putting them at almost eye level to each other. Intense concern and curiosity and downright awe burned in his eyes, far too close for her liking. His brow furrowed worriedly.

“Didja break anything? When you fell? That was really badass also, in kind of a funny way. Unless you got hurt. Then not funny, at all. If you are hurt, I can help-“

“No! No, I'm- I'm fine,” she couldn't stay silent anymore. The thought of him trying to help her made her heart sink like a stone. She didn't want his help, she didn't want to be anywhere near him. “Really, it's- it's nothing. I'm fine.”

Griffin’s jaw went slack in surprise. If she wasn't so terrified, Carry might've found his expression funny. Now however, it only added to her dread.

“Woaaahh, you can talk! Holy shit this is incredible. Do you have a name? I'm Griffin, by the way. God, I can't believe you're really real.”

“It's-“ ‘none of your business’ she wanted to shout. She wanted to get angry, and demand he let her go. But then she shuddered to think of what he might do to her. If he got angry, anything could happen. So she sighed instead, “it’s Carry.”

“Carry, hi! Wow, Carry, that's a great name. Hey, Carry,” he smiled warmly, but she was no longer looking at him. She had her arms crossed and was eyeing his hands nervously.

“Ah, here,” he shifted a little so he wasn't crowding her so much. “Sorry, I just… didn't want you to run away.”

She sighed and gave him a tired look. It was little relief for her to have some room again when escape was still impossible.

“Soooo, now what?” She asked, gesturing around them. Despite her fear, Carry was growing exasperated at Griffin’s cheerful demeanor, given that all she felt right now was stressed and exhausted.

Griffin was, however, distracted.

“Ah, shit, sorry. This really isn't a very comfortable position I'm in, right now. If we could just move, somewhere…”

Carry’s eyes widened as he shifted around her. He looked as though he was about to stand up and his hands moved around her again only closer, making her realize what he was planning to do.

“Hey wait! Wait wait wait, just wait a minute,” she threw her hands out in desperation, trying to keep him from effortlessly picking her up. 

He paused for a moment, blinking down at her, a little confused and worried.

“I just wanna talk, I promise. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay. You don't have to worry.” He tried to reassure her, seeing that she was afraid.

“Please-“ she only managed to gasp before the enormous fingers sealed around her.

And then she was moving.

Carry’s stomach dropped as she was lifted higher and higher. Walls of flesh twitched around her, responding to her movement. It was too warm, too cramped, too alive. She was moving faster than she ever could on her own and she had no say in the matter. And then it was over. The movement stopped, and Griffin opened his hands. Carry landed on her hands and knees onto a hard surface. Glancing around she saw that she had been deposited on top of the desk in the room. There was a keyboard and computer monitor looming lifeless behind her. She even caught a glimpse of the shelves where she began this unfortunate chain of events before her attention was completely taken up once again by Griffin. He pulled the desk chair out and settled in it, never once taking his eyes off Carry, still completely fascinated. 

“See?” He smiled down at her, “this is much better.” 

Carry sighed, shifting so she was sitting cross-legged and fixed him with a look that she hoped covered her fear. She didn't trust her legs to hold her up after that little trip, and she didn't want him to see her shaking.

“Soooo,” Griffin started, fingers tapping the edge of the desk. “What were you doing, up there, with my amiibos?”

Keeping a wary eye on the giant digits moving so close to her, Carry took a moment before answering. She hated that such innocuous movements from him could put her on edge, and he didn't even notice.

“I dunno,” she shrugged, trying to adopt a nonchalant attitude. “They're kinda cool, and sometimes I like to just… walk around them?” 

To be perfectly honest, she wasn't entirely sure why she liked to go up there occasionally. Sometimes she just needed to clear her head, and for some reason those bits of plastic gave her some comfort. Not that she would tell Griffin that.

“Oh? You like ‘em huh?” Griffin seemed amused by the thought. He even glanced back at the shelf over his shoulder. “I guess they are pretty neat. Which one’s your favorite? I'm a big fan of the Bowser one, myself.”

“Uuhhh, I don't really know most of their names.” She admitted, a little embarrassed by the fact. “But, I guess, I do like the girl in the pink dress. She looks like she would be nice.”

“You mean Peach? Oh yeah she's a cutie.” Griffin grinned, but then it faltered a bit as he seemed to realize something. “I uh, I take it that this wasn't the first time you've been up there?”

Carry wasn't quite sure what he was getting at, so she shrugged. “I mean, I guess I've been up there a few times.”

“Isn't that kinda, dangerous?” His brow furrowed.

“Only if I get caught.” She scoffed.

“So why risk it?”

“I don't know, man, I'm starting to regret it now.”

“I mean, don't you have other, real people, to hang out with?”

Carry didn't reply to that. She could feel a headache coming on. There used to be others, several others, but not anymore. It was better that way though, especially now. Now she didn't have to worry about putting anyone else at risk. 

Before Griffin could press the issue, the silence was shattered by his phone ringing. Both of them jumped a mile as the shrill sound ripped through the tension in the air.

“O-oh fuck,” he scrambled to pull the thing out of his pocket. 

After a quick apologetic look, Griffin hit the answer button and put the device up to his ear. Whoever was on the other side put him in a good mood as she noticed him instantly perk up. Some quick pleasantries were exchanged, but Carry made it a point to not pay attention. However, it didn't take them long to wrap up the conversation.

“Okay- yup- yeah I'm on my way right now- uh huh- sounds great! See ya soon- buh bye.”

He hung up and Carry found herself once again under his undivided attention. 

“Sorry about that, my brothers and I are doing this thing so I gotta head out. Ahhh…”

He hesitated, Carry could tell he was considering what to do next. It was hard to just sit and watch as someone else decided your fate. Carry felt her heart sink even further wondering what he might finally settle on.

“Y'know what, you should come with me,” Griffin smiled again, as though he had just had the best idea.

Carry’s eyes went wide and she lurched to her feet at the thought. She'd been imagining he'd put her in a box or a jar until he got back, but this. 

“No Griffin, please-“ 

“Hey don't worry, it'll be fine. You should meet my brothers anyway, I know they won't believe me if I just tell them about you.”

She didn't have time to react as he was suddenly reaching for her again. Before she knew it, Carry had been scooped up in a loose fist. She barely had time to recover before she was swiftly dropped into the chest pocket of the shirt Griffin was wearing. And without further ado, he was on the move.

~~~

The next few hours were strange for Carry. 

Griffin seemed hyper aware of her presence on his person at first. He fidgeted with his shirt and brushed his hand over the pocket she was in as if to make sure she was still there. Carry could feel his heart pounding nervously behind her. Exhausted, and with nothing better to do, she tried to settle in this new confinement as best she could. It was a relief not to be directly under the human’s gaze for the moment, but now Carry had his brothers to look forward to. She curled into herself just thinking about it, wanting to disappear. A slight pressure from outside her prison drew her attention to the fact that Griffin was once again making sure she was still there. She returned the gesture by curling her hand into a fist and punching the outside fabric wall of the pocket as hard as she could. Carry wasn't even sure he felt it, but his hand did retreat immediately after and did not return.

She must have dozed off at some point, somehow managing to despite how wound up she was. It was fitful, however, and nowhere near restful. Flashes of fear fueled dreams filled her mind. New voices jolted her out of this brief respite. Loud and boisterous, Carry realized they must be the brothers given how enthusiastic they all sounded together. Her heart rate spiked thinking of what must be coming next, bracing herself for the inevitable. But it didn't come. The brothers went about their business, Griffin never once mentioning his unusual passenger. 

Another hour passed, and whatever project they were working on seemed to be wrapping up. Carry began wondering if maybe she'd been forgotten. She waited, tensing when Griffin excused himself to go to the bathroom. When it was finally quiet again, she decided to speak up.

“Hope you aren't planning on leaving me here while you do your business,” she quipped.

Carry thought that he'd come to the bathroom in order to talk to her privately, but when her surroundings jolted as he jumped at the sound of her voice told her otherwise. A muttered curse reached her ears as the pocket was pulled open and she caught sight of a very apologetic face.

“You actually forgot I was here?? What the fuck, man?” Carry shouted up at him.

“I'm sorry I'm sorry! I- I got distracted.”

Any other reprimands she wanted to throw at him were instantly forgotten as a hand suddenly invaded her prison. She ducked as it moved by over her, trying to avoid being caught up again. However, Griffin’s fingers brushed against the back of her shirt and carefully pinched the material before she could pull away. Carry was thankful she'd decided to wear layers that day, as she was lifted out of the pocket by her over shirt and the strap of the bag she carried. Everything shifted as she was pulled free. Carry gasped as the world dropped out from under her, nothing preparing her for being suddenly dangled over an impossibly long fall. Wide-eyed, she gripped her pack tight, scrambling to pull herself up, to put something between her and that sickening fall. Not thinking, she shouted at the man in front of her.

“Griffin McElroy put me the fuck down right. NOW.”

“Shit fuck,” his other hand was immediately below her as he dropped her into it. He curled his fingers inward, blocking any view of the drop off with both hands before lifting her up to his face. “I am so, so sorry.”

“Jesus,” she wheezed, taking deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. “Maybe- maybe warn a girl next time.”

He grimaced at that, clearly upset by his mistake. “Shit I'm really sorry. Are you okay?”

Carry nodded, accepting his apology and answering his question. That was all the energy she could summon up after that ordeal, so she waited where she sat on his palm for him to speak. Griffin lowered his hands slightly so he wasn't peering so closely at her and winced when the movement made her jump. 

“Sorry,” he said again, “I uh- gosh I hope I didn't scare you too badly. I swear to god I would never drop you, and I'll never do something like that again without asking you first.”

She looked him in the eye and saw that he was serious. And, surprising herself, Carry found that she believed him. 

“Look, Griffin,” she started, “we’re both tired. How about we just, call it a night and go home.”

Griffin seemed to deflate a little at her words, but he looked understanding all the same. 

“Yeah… yeah that's probably a good idea.”

He gave her a small smile before walking towards the bathroom door. Carry fumbled a bit as they started moving, but she managed to grab onto Griffin’s thumb for support. Keeping the hand she was on close to his chest to make sure Carry wouldn't fall, Griffin pushed the door open with the other. He headed for the dining area where his laptop and other things were only to freeze in the doorway.

Somehow, he'd managed to forget that that was where he'd left Travis and Justin.

His two older brothers were sitting across from each other at the closer end of the table. They were joking around and laughing when Griffin came in. Their grins faltered a little, however, when they caught sight of the look on his face as he stood there. Like a deer caught in the headlights.

Justin spoke up first, “Well welcome back, Griff. What, uh- what've you got there?”

They were both looking at his hand that was cupped against his chest, obviously carrying something. But neither of them could make out Carry hidden there yet.

“Oh uh, well, um,” Griffin stammered, unsure.

“C’mon, Ditto, show us!” The curiosity was clear in both their faces as Travis motioned him over.

Griffin hesitantly stepped forward. “This is, uh- well, I- I found um, her, in my office earlier today…”

Carry’s heart sank as he moved closer to the table. This was, by far, the worst day she had ever had the misfortune of waking up on.

Justin and Travis watched, curious and confused, as Griffin lowered his hand to the table top and deposited a tiny girl there between them.

“Guys, this- this is Carry. Carry, meet Justin and Travis, my uh- my older brothers.” Was Griffin’s eloquent introduction.

As soon as Carry’s feet hit wooden table, she tensed. She could feel three pairs of eyes on her, but it took her a moment before she could look up. When she did, her eyes darted from one face to another, trying to read what they might do next. Travis was on her left, frozen staring at her. He had a look on his face like he was afraid to move. Justin was to the right, complete shock and disbelief written on his face as he looked from Griffin to Carry and back again. Griffin for his part, settled sheepishly in the chair directly in front of her, nervously waiting. 

“Is this- is this for real?” Justin finally asked, gesturing at Carry’s tiny form.

She flinched at that, backing away as much as she dared from Justin’s side of the table. 

Griffin nodded, “yeah, I found her on the shelf with my amiibo figures…”

Carry only half listened as Griffin recalled the tale of their meeting. Hearing them talk about her over her head made her feel embarrassed for some reason. In fact, thinking about the whole situation made her face heat up so she focused on her feet instead. Every nerve in her wanted to just run, but she knew better. There was nowhere to go.

“Hey.”

The soft whisper was loud and clear to Carry and she jumped. Looking up again, she saw Travis, and realized that by moving away from Justin, she'd just gotten that much closer to him. The bearded brother had rested his chin on his arms on the table and was watching her with concern.

“You okay?” He asked, again in that quiet murmur.

She fidgeted with her hands nervously, face burning an even brighter shade of red. The other two were currently preoccupied so she shrugged.

“I'm… still alive, I guess,” she answered, hating the way her voice shook slightly.

However, her response got a small smile out of the giant next to her. 

“That's always a good thing,” he chuckled softly. “I'm Travis.”

She blinked at him in surprise. “Yeah, I know.”

Travis rolled his eyes at that. “Griffin may have said our names, but that was far from a proper introduction. So whadaya say we start over?”

He slowly extended one hand towards her, making her stumble back in surprise. However, he didn't move any closer, and the smile he sent her when their eyes met again was nothing but reassuring.

“Hey, I'm Travis. You gotta name?”

Carry actually shot him an exasperated look when she realized what he was trying to get her to do. But the giant only grinned cheekily back. Suddenly feeling brazen, she stepped forward with determination. Placing one hand on the top of his index finger, Carry met his gaze.

“It's Carry, Carry Hunter.”

Slowly, and with more care than Carry thought a giant was capable of, Travis held her hand between his index finger and thumb. She noticed then that his fingernails were painted black as he shook her hand once before releasing it again, withdrawing his hand completely.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Carry Hunter.”

It was then she noticed the others had gone silent. Griffin and Justin were staring at them in slack-jawed awe. Travis seemed to notice too as he straightened up slightly.

“Oh my god, Travis,” Griffin groaned, “how do you even do that??”

Griffin buried his face in his hands, as exasperated with his older brother as he was impressed.

“Do what?” Travis asked, genuinely confused.

“‘Do what?’ What do you think, man? You two have only just met and she told you her last name? I didn't even know she had a last name.”

Griffin looked between Travis and Carry, but she avoided meeting his eyes. She only said her last name because she thought Travis was trying to be more formal. It didn't mean anything.

“Well, she's just a person,” Travis pointed out, “I only introduced myself like I would with anyone.”

Carry turned her attention away from the two of them, feeling uncomfortable. She noticed that Justin was looking her way with a thoughtful expression.

“Right, she's a person,” the oldest brother interjected, interrupting the other two.

“A person, you,” his attention suddenly turned on Griffin, “seem to have kidnapped and brought here, most likely against her will.”

Griffin’s eyes went wide, “kidnapped? What no, I wouldn't kidnap someone!”

Then his attention was on Carry, guilt filling his expression as he thought back on his actions.

“Alright well, lets hear what she has to say on this,” Justin turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn't kidnap you, did I?” The quiet question was directed at her and Carry finally made herself meet Griffin’s gaze.

After a moment considering each of the three brothers, she shrugged.

“I mean, you kinda did…”

The crestfallen look that came over Griffin almost made her feel guilty. He seemed to physically deflate.

“Fuck, I did.” He muttered, the realization finally sinking in. When he turned back to her, there was a deep remorse in his eyes. “Carry, I am so so sorry. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you. Fuck, I'll take you anywhere you want to go, I'll never bother you again, anything you need. Hell I can take you back right now if you want-“

“Now, hang on hang on,” Justin interrupted, raising a hand, “let's not be hasty here.”

Carry’s heart sank at his words. She hadn't even realized that her hopes had slowly been rising until now. Griffin was going to take her back, and even leave her alone. It almost seemed too good to be true. But now she had no idea what Justin had in mind.

“Sure, you can take her back. And she has every right to make that choice right here. But, right now, you're here.” Justin addressed her then, a friendly smile on his face. “What I'm saying is this: whatever you want to do, from now on, it's gonna happen. We certainly aren't gonna get in your way, and we'll help you out however you want. So, why not just, hang out for a bit?”

Carry couldn't believe her ears. Did he really think she'd stay? 

“I have no reason to trust any of you,” she stated, confused and a little frustrated.

“That's true,” Travis spoke up, “but really, we have nothing to gain by lying to you. And we’re not so bad once you get to know us.”

Looking between the three of them, Carry shook her head in disbelief. She wasn't going to stay, she couldn't. She didn't know these guys and she didn't want to. Well, she sort of knew Griffin, having lived under his floors for some time now, but he hadn't exactly made the best first impression that day. It was ridiculous to even hesitate here.

And yet, something held her back. She knew that, despite everything, Griffin was a decent guy. Even after holding her against her will, he never planned to harm her. He showed clear remorse after realizing how far he'd gone. And his brothers seemed genuine enough. This could be her only chance to have a real conversation with someone, to interact with people and get to know them. Her only chance to make some friends.

And she just couldn't let that slip through her fingers.

At last, she shrugged, “fuck it. I'll stay.”

The three brothers visibly relaxed at her words. Justin and Travis laughed, sending her warm and genuine smiles. They immediately went back to chatting, making sure to include her where she was comfortable. Carry found herself laughing and joining in the conversation more and more. However, she did notice that Griffin was acting much more subdued than usual. He didn't join the conversation much unless asked something directly, and he often looked lost in thought. Carry decided she would keep an eye on him for now. She didn't want him beating himself up over his actions for too long, but she did need time herself to acclimate.

After a while, Carry was more relaxed than she'd been in months, maybe years. Every once in a while, one of the brothers would get up to get food and other refreshments from the kitchen. Carry couldn't remember the last time she'd had enough food to just eat and not worry about having enough. Soon, her belly was full and she began to feel that warm, sleepy kind of contentment begin to steal over her. 

She ended up gravitating towards Travis’ side of the table. He had a way of talking that put her at ease. At first, she steered clear of his hands, they still made her nervous. But sooner than she expected, Carry was leaning against them and interacting with Travis just casually. Sometimes, he would ruffle her hair with just a finger, and she would use his hand as a seat if he rested it on the table. Upon closer inspection too, Carry noticed that his nails weren't painted black, but actually a dark, metallic green shade. Travis noticed her fascination as she examined one of his fingers and he ended up explaining all about nail polish and how some humans liked to paint their nails. He ended up promising to show her his polish collection one day.

At one point, Justin was on a laptop and showed them all a funny video. It was something called a ‘vine compilation’ and Carry found herself amazed by it and the device it was on. Before she knew it, she was watching videos with Justin. She sat on the touchpad, moving the mouse on Justin’s command as he picked what to watch. After going through some favorites, the conversation turned and her attention was drawn elsewhere. The brothers were talking about some of their experiences and Carry was suddenly curious. She asked about when they were kids, and Justin eagerly delved into their many, ridiculous family stories. There were so many, and each was more hilarious than the last. Carry found herself laughing so hard her ribs ached and she had tears in her eyes. 

It felt like the night would never end.

All too soon, however, Travis announced that he had to leave. He said goodbye to his two brothers first, and then turned to Carry.

“It was so nice getting to know you, Carry,” he said, leaning closer to the table and once again extending one hand towards her. 

Without hesitation this time, she easily placed both hands on his finger. “Likewise. See ya around, yeah?”

“Absolutely,” he grinned, shaking he hands once before stepping back. 

One last wave goodbye and Travis headed for the door with Justin seeing him out. Carry ended up alone at the table with Griffin for the first time since they both met. After a moment of awkward silence, Griffin was the one to speak first.

“Hey, uh, I feel like I should apologize again. I'm really really sorry-“

“Griffin,” she interrupted, shaking her head.

“No no, hear me out. I really shouldn't have done all that I did. Kidnapping you and taking you here, away from your home and everything…”

As he talked, Carry marched determinedly towards where his hands were folded on the table. Just to prove that she wasn't afraid, she placed her hands on one of his knuckles and stared up at him as he trailed off.

“Listen,” she began sternly, “I don't blame you, really. You find a tiny person in your own home, what else are you gonna do? I'd probably do the same thing in your position, that's just curiosity.”

Griffin avoided her gaze, “yeah, but, that's still no excuse.”

“Yeah well,” she shrugged, “I forgive you then. I accept your apology. What's done is done.”

At those words he only seemed to look more worried, so she patted his hand lightly to get him to look at her.

“Hey, remember, something… really good came from this whole situation, okay. I'm glad I met you.”

Griffin actually smiled at that, but Justin returned before he could say anything else. As Justin got settled again, Griffin hinted at maybe heading out soon too. However, Justin deterred him by asking for Griffin’s help in editing a project, and Carry eagerly agreed to stay longer so the three of them gathered around the laptop.

In the end, however, the brothers became more interested in showing Carry all there was to see in the realm of the internet than work. And she was fascinated by it all. What she enjoyed most was seeing pictures and videos of other places. They might as well be far off worlds to her she had no way to reach them on her own. But the laptop offered her a sort of portal, to see things she otherwise never would've had the chance to. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep in Griffin’s hand, which she had settle in (much to his surprise) while they looked at pictures of the aurora borealis. 

Griffin and Justin kept their voices low as they said goodbye, Griffin promising to come by the next day to help with editing. The drive home was silent as Griffin kept his snoozing passenger close. He wondered what the next day would bring, still amazed and grateful that, despite how it began, he had managed to make a friend.


End file.
